The Oblivious Pair
by bechloeonly
Summary: Beca Mitchell finds herself feeling oddly irritated whenever Chloe's with someone else. She also finds her heart pumping as if it's going to pump its way out of her chest whenever Chloe comes near. Chloe Beale doesn't know what the feeling is: she just hates the fact that Beca's so popular among the females on campus; probably due to Beca's masculine vibe. Oblivious.
1. Chapter 1

Beca Mitchell wonders when she first notices Chloe Beale.

Have things always been this… comfortable and relaxing between the two of them?

"Beca… I want to cuddle!"

"Again?"

Beca wonders when she became so softhearted towards the redhead, even giving in to her constant demand for skin contact. She doesn't remember giving hugs or kisses to their other friends like she does Chloe. Don't talk about hugs or kisses, even linking arms are considered a luxury to Beca. Perhaps it's the mommy-issues like everyone says, because Beca was never taught to open her heart or be relaxed around people. All her father did was try to impose his own morals and definitions of character on her, which didn't and still doesn't sit well with her.

Chloe frowns when she's still alone on the sofa – didn't Beca always come running at her call?

"Beca. Mitchell."

"Fine, fine…" Beca groans in response, getting off the comfortable single chair. She actually loves sitting alone with her body engulfed in thick blankets and the likes. Yet, it seems everything is changing because of Chloe. When she's finally snuggled beside the whining redhead, Beca can't help but stiffen a little. "Are you happy now?"

"Utterly satisfied."

The smile on Chloe's face is enough for Beca to shut her mouth, even if she's initially uncomfortable. She adores the redhead to the ends of the earth and to say that she'd do anything for the latter is a complete understatement. Every time Chloe sends that mind-blowing smile or that effortlessly sexy wink at her, Beca finds herself ready to drop to her knees to worship the older woman. And… she doesn't mean this in a creepy way at all but Chloe Beale has the most beautiful butt Beca has ever seen in her entire life.

If only Beca knows…

Chloe has been staring at her in the same manner with the exact same gaze in her eyes – a familiar emotion the both of them can concur with.

"Can't you feel it? The sexual tension in the air?" Stacie cries out in a dramatic manner. She has her legs propped atop her girlfriend's lap, and boy – Cynthia Rose has amazing massage skills indeed. "I want to suffocate every time I'm stuck with them alone."

The entire group is nodding and laughing together at Stacie's statement; most of them can't deny her words, because the pair of friends make it so painfully obvious. While some agree with having Chloe and Beca end up together, one in particular (of course, it's Aubrey Posen herself) is more worried about the little pest always pestering Chloe. For more detail, the little pest is none other than Tom, who thinks a mere _one-night stand_ automatically makes him a permanent figure in Chloe's life.

It's only then Emily stops her munching on her bag of cookies and looks up with an odd expression.

"What sexual tension?

The girls palmed their face.

Fat Amy sighs, "full offence, Emily, but you're the dumbest person I've ever seen in my entire life."

The next day seems to be pass very quickly, with Beca rushing off to the radio station immediately after her first two classes. She doesn't pay heed to the group's calling, something else weighing heavily on her mind instead. She didn't want to eavesdrop this morning but Chloe was in the kitchen with the biggest smile on her face, on the phone with Mr. Douchebag (actually Beca doesn't know who it is but there's a high possibility that it's Tom). If that isn't unlucky enough, Beca had to hear Chloe agreeing to meet him tonight too.

There is literally zero reason for Beca to go for Bellas' practice and since she's not the only one with her own schedule, Beca just has to come up with some excuse. Usually, Beca can't bear to miss practice because she gets to spend more time with Chloe but not today.

"What's up with Beca?"

Jessica frowns, "she didn't even compliment my hair this morning."

"Oh, please," Ashley snorts, "they barely even notice us here."

"HEY!"

Ashley grins sheepishly at the looks of offence on the other girls' faces. She can't resist teasing them over their lack of attention towards Jessica and herself in the past.

Chloe can't get her shit together at all; her notes have been off-tune and her choreography has been completely ruined too. She can't put her finger on it at the moment but she something just doesn't feel right being here without all of them here together. Her vocal nodules have healed themselves just recently and the past few practices had gone wonderful… it's just her condition _today_. Whether it's the weather or the bloody temperature in the room, she can't tell.

"Look, we obviously have things on our minds so why don't we sit out of practice today?" Fat Amy says, her eyes glued to her phone.

Hesitation clouds Chloe's vision temporarily; she promised Aubrey to take good care of the Bellas and their reputation as world champions. They sure as hell won't maintain that if they're going to skip practice to sort out their own emotional problems. Professionalism has always been an easy feat for Chloe, probably because she didn't have a tight-knit relationship with the former Bellas like the current ones. Most importantly, no other person has ever made Chloe nervous because of her mere presence the way Beca Mitchell does.

Now, things haven't always been this tense.

The first time Chloe laid her eyes on the brunette, she felt an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of her tummy. Was it Beca's resting bitch face that scared her off? Or was it the eye contact that made Chloe feel a rush of blood to her face? Chloe can't seem to stop thinking of that brunette, even though she knows she shouldn't. She already has a _thing_ with Tom – isn't this considered two-timing? Well, they're not official or anything but they do have an _on-off thing_ together, and it's obvious.

"Chloe, are you feeling okay?"

The redhead finally looks up and realizes the Bellas are surrounding her this time. She smiles gratefully, "I… I just have some stuff to figure out on my own. I'm fine, girls."

Cynthia Rose almost groans aloud at the obvious problem staring at everyone in the face – okay well, only Chloe doesn't know the issue herself. Everyone else can tell that the momentum is broken because Beca isn't here with Chloe. She can't be the only one who wants to smack the two oblivious people involved! There are so many instances where Beca makes exceptions for Chloe alone; she treats Chloe so differently and with such gentleness that it's almost impossible for them not to look like a couple.

Stacie gives her girlfriend a powerful smack on the shoulder, warning her to keep her mouth shut. " _Say a thing and you get none of these goodies tonight."_ Stacie mouthed, her eyes glaring daggers at her precious woman.

A sigh leaves Chloe's lips and her shoulders slump forward tiredly; thinking about Beca always gives her a headache. She doesn't know why Beca's been giving her the cold shoulder since this morning, and Chloe doesn't know if it's a good idea to find out. If Beca gives her an answer that'd hurt her… Chloe doesn't know what she will do. They've spent years together and they're pretty close but Chloe still feels the barrier that Beca puts between them unconsciously; a psychological barrier that can improve or worsen their friendship.

Why did Beca ignore her the entire morning?

"Ugh… screw this shit," Chloe huffs, grabbing her bag that was sitting on the bleachers. She's going to be late for her meeting with Tom if she doesn't start moving. It's her turn to ignore the Bellas' calls, more because of the constant worry in Chloe's mind.

The Bellas groaned for the nth time – were both their leaders always this stupid or oblivious to the obvious?

Beca Mitchell has always been a sharp, independent and heavily guarded person; she can't trust the people around her until there's some sort of validation or anything like that. She proves herself to be a consistent person with a strong will to go ahead with her dreams and ambitions. With absolutely no intention of auditioning for the Bellas, the brunette still lugged herself to the auditorium for the sake of the redhead; the latter's sky blue eyes drew her right back in. Now, she seems a lot softer and definitely more comfortable around this group of girls.

All because of Chloe Beale.

Being a redhead has always been a kind of uniqueness to Chloe Beale. She was originally born with a gorgeous blonde shade of hair but Chloe didn't want to blend in with the other beautiful blondes surrounding her. She wanted to be different and rely on herself to work on her own music. She wanted to be her own person. No one will look at her like she's a typical member of the Beale family – the Beales are well known for being rich and powerful, along with their crazy obsession with reputation and economic stability.

Chloe massages her temples at the sight of Tom walking towards her with that stupid smile on his face; it's just a normal meeting so why does Tom have to look so phony?

"Hey, baby!"

Oh, for God's sake.

Tom tries to hide the frown growing on his face when Chloe moves to avoid his kiss. She never reacted that way before. In fact, they behave like crazy bunnies sometimes.

"Why did you call me out, Tom?" Chloe asks, unaware of the slightly aggressive tone in her voice. She can't even hide the tired look on her face anymore. "I didn't get anything done today so I need to leave as soon as possible."

The flinch Tom just had shocked Chloe herself; since when did she become so hard and cold towards him? She didn't realize it either…

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just have some things on my mind and I need to get them sorted out before practice tomorrow."

Kind Chloe, as always, apologizing for something she shouldn't have to. Normally, the Bellas would chide her for being too soft-hearted and easily taken advantage of but that's why Chloe gets along with Aubrey so well. They match each other and compliment each other's strong, completely opposite personalities. Now that Aubrey has already graduated and left the school to run a retreat camp, Chloe is left alone to stand up for herself (which obviously isn't working out too well).

Then came Beca.

Within the first year of their friendship, the number of times Beca has defended Chloe has surpassed the number of fingers on both hands and toes on one foot. Whenever Chloe is in trouble or is in need of some help, Beca is always there; be it coincidental or not, the bottom line is: Beca is always there to protect her.

"Well… to make up for my demanding behavior," Tom looks a little too innocent but he did look really sorry, "shall I take you out for a movie tonight?"

Chloe doesn't want to…

She's supposed to be meeting the girls.

"F-Fine…"

 _ **Chloe:**_

 _I'm not coming home early tonight_

 _Take care you girls!_

"Why the bloody hell isn't she coming back?" Stacie screeched.

Aubrey almost palms her face at the message that came in through the group chat; did Chloe forget that she is coming back here tonight? On every second Sunday of the month, Aubrey gets to spend the night here at the Bellas' house due to the influx of students coming in for team-bonding activities. Although she misses the girls crazily, Aubrey has always been a woman of her word – she follows the rules even more closely than her subordinates. Now her best friend forgets all about it? Well then.

Beca can't help the annoyed snort, "she probably went to meet Mr. Douchebag again. It's not exactly new, y'know."

Fat Amy rolls her eyes in amusement; these two really do a bad job of covering up their innermost feelings. She likes being a spectator of love games and all but her two friends are involved – if any of them got hurt, wouldn't it spell demise for the Bellas?

"Jealous, much?" Aubrey smirked.

Everyone watches with hitched breaths as Beca visibly tenses up, hands balling into fists. Beca always makes it painfully obvious whenever her guards start to go up, and Chloe is usually there to dispel her nerves. The most difficult part of getting Beca to relax and fall back into the conversation is the sudden distrust that overwhelms her. Chloe usually has a way to do it and it's _supposedly_ different from the way the other girls do it. Now that Chloe isn't here to do something, they're pretty much at a loss too.

Aubrey seems to have caught on too, and she scoots closer to the brunette. She displays a demeanor-too-cute for her usual self and pouts, "I was just kidding. Don't be angry."

Right at that moment, the front door slams open and who should run in but a crying redhead with tattered clothes. Chloe makes a dash for her room and shuts the door with a loud bang, collapsing against it with her knees pulled to her chest. She refuses to believe that whatever just happened was reality. The guy who wanted to make it up to her tried to get frisky with her in the theatres? And even followed her to the bathroom when she tried to leave? Damn, she almost got herself into deep shit!

Within a flash, Beca reaches their shared room and begins to pound on the door with all her might. The brunette can feel tears stinging her eyes, blurring her vision immensely.

"CHLOE! CHLOE!"

Chloe only lowers her head and tries to keep her sobs down so the girls won't worry so much. She'll most likely have to face the music tomorrow morning or afternoon at latest but for now; Chloe needs to let it all sink in. She needs to start believing that people aren't always going to be nice or equally honest as she is. The one person that she never thought would do that already did; Tom went overboard, and he almost became a sexual assailant

Why?

Why did people have to be so cruel?

"Chlo…" Beca sighs, her head resting against the door in defeat. She can feel her knuckles starting to ache at the constant knocking but her mind's running wild. It's clear that whatever happened to Chloe wrecked her, and Beca can't have that. "Open up, please?"

Aubrey isn't going to lie; she can roughly sketch out what happened between Chloe and Tom. She knows how her best friend is like, and Chloe _needs_ this time alone. "Beca…" Aubrey approaches the brunette gently, her hands rubbing Beca's shoulders, "I think you should talk to her tomorrow." Aubrey's tone might be sympathetic but it is definitely firm; Beca knows when to back off and trust Aubrey on this.

Chloe maintains her silence as she overhears the girls try to pull Beca away from the room door; the mild ache in her heart worsening when she hears Lily talk in an audible voice regarding the bruises on Beca's knuckles. Her tears fall even quicker and it gets tougher to cry at an inaudible volume – why does her heart hurt more at the thought of Beca hurting herself in the midst of worrying about her? She's so confused; no wonder people say feelings are a curse sometimes.

" _Chloe, I know you're listening. I want you to calm yourself and get your shit together, alright? I won't ask you anything, but I expect you to open up to me_."

Knowing Aubrey's extremely domineering ways, Chloe knows it's not a favour being asked; it's an _order_.

Chloe wished the sun never came up.

Another day is beginning, and Chloe's mind is still in a complete mess. She wishes last night never happened, and that everything was back to normal. Why did she have to give in again? Why is it always her that has to fall victim to people like that?

" _Um… Chloe_?"

The redhead's ears perk up at the soft voice on the other side of the wooden door. She doesn't need to be a genius to know who it is; that voice always sends chills down her spine. "Give me a second..." Chloe stands up weakly, her back still resting against the door. She can only hope her legs don't give way when she sees Beca in front of her. Honestly, changing her clothes to presentable ones isn't even important anymore, not when Beca probably figured out the events of what happened already.

Beca barely held back a gasp when her eyes landed on Chloe; she tries to fight back tears but to no avail. "O-Oh my God, Chlo…"

The tears that Chloe has been holding back came flowing down without an ounce of control, her body shaking furiously when Beca started to come closer.

"C-Can I hug you?"

Though Chloe nods with a convincing smile, Beca feels the contrast of it the moment their bodies come into contact. She wants to break down and cry together with Chloe but she can't. She has to remain being the strong one or Chloe won't be able to hold out. Chloe is strong and no doubt, with a headstrong personality but she is nothing more than a human too… Beca can't fathom why people have to be so cruel towards her. Why, of all people, the person who doesn't deserve it most?

Beca rubs Chloe's back as the redhead crumbles in her arms; she's not going to let it go.

Nothing good will go Tom's way from now to the end of university.

That's a vow.

Jessica and Ashley enjoy spending quality time together, especially since they've been tight from the first year until now. Jessica is usually referred to the 'irrelevant one' according to people from their class but Ashley always gets them back in one way or another. It might seem like trivial matter but to Jessica, that is a sign of care. Everyone has different ways of expressing that they care deeply about a person and Ashley chooses to do it in a more upbeat way than the tender, loving one. There is one other person who tends to do it in the same way.

Beca.

The brunette thinks she's sneaky enough not to get caught when the latter goes grocery shopping in the middle of the night. Ashley caught on the moment Beca's eyes widened comically; so the ever-sharp-tongued Beca Mitchell is trying to help Chloe build herself up all over again. It is cuter when they're watching from the sidelines because they get to see Beca's effort behind the scenes, and the results alongside Chloe's genuine reactions.

"Ash," Jessica nudged her best friend. She rolls her eyes when she catches Ashley dozing off against her shoulder. Not that she can hide the megawatt beam when Ashley looks up and into her eyes. "Hey, isn't that Beca over there?"

Ashley cocks a brow and follows Jessica's finger, a look of surprise coming on. She doesn't remember seeing Beca leave the house before them, not that it has ever happened before. That's not exactly the issue

"FUCK YOU, TOM!"

The two girls immediately get up and run over to where Beca and Tom are busy tussling. Questions can be answered later but for now, Beca has to be kept away from the bastard before she gets into more trouble with the headmaster.

"Beca! What are you doing?!" Ashley maintains a tight grip on the shorter brunette, effectively separating the two. She gasps after blood starts to trickle down Beca's nose; clearly, the injuries are more severe than she expects. "Don't you know you can get suspended from this? Or get kicked out of the Bellas for this?"

Beca harshly wipes her nose and chin free of blood, dusting off her sleeves afterward. "Fuck that shit. This asshole thinks he can get it easy after trying to touch Chloe like that. I'm not done."

Jessica screams her head off when Beca starts charging at Tom again, the two crashing down the till together. She is almost afraid to look down at the possible mess below; who knows if they have broken bones or distorted bodies? God, it'll scar her for life. Her hands are covering her face with gaps between her fingers as she stands behind a tree, peeking down at the scene that's going to greet her. Jessica has always been a scared kitten but nothing could prepare her for this – oh, it's ugly indeed.

"BEECCCAAAAA!"

Skipping class? Really?

Chloe doesn't do that.

To put things into perspective, Chloe is back in school today because she doesn't believe in pitying herself for more than a few days tops. Today marks the end of her short healing period of three full days. Her initial plan was to come back to class and slowly catch up with her school work again, perhaps hang out with the Bellas and have real fun during practice. So much for making plans beforehand, because Chloe is now rushing to the hospital ward here Beca and Tom were sent to after the fight.

"Hurry up! You guys move like pigs!"

"This is _cardio_ , you skinny bitch!" Fat Amy pants, trying to move even faster than before.

Chloe ignores the insult and makes a dash when she sees the room number with Beca's name a few doors away. She can hear her heart pounding in her ears and her tummy's feeling like it's got animals in it or something.

Beca is happily talking with the nurse who's still patting the newly stitched wound with the necessary medication, a toothy smile plastered on her face. She knows Ashley and Jessica are in the same room but the nurse sounds so funny… perhaps it's the drugs they gave her when they were stitching up her wound. Beca does feel a little woozy still but who cares? The doctor says she can skip school for the rest of the week and half of the next too!

"BECA. MITCHELL."

"U-Uh… Chlo?" Beca stutters, her eyes going wide as she accidentally shoves the nurse too hard. She doesn't know why she feels as if she just got caught cheating on her lover. "W-What are you doing here?"

As the redhead starts walking closer to the bed, the nurse starts thanking her lucky stars that Beca pushed her away because she can feel the chills creeping up on her. From her point of view, all the nurse can feel is amused because the two women seem to be a couple, and the redhead's jealous out of her mind at the moment. It's actually pretty cute but the nurse is currently more worried about her life right now so time to scoot off.

"Beca Mitchell." Chloe repeats herself, this time standing right in front of the brunette. She can't hold back the displeased expression; this isn't the first time Chloe has to help Beca get out of whatever trouble she is in. "What is it this time?"

"It's not— SHE BEAT TOM UP!"

"I DIDN'T!"

Chloe gasps after hearing the telltale, and her eyes take a good look at Beca's condition: a fractured ankle, twisted wrist, stitches on her head… and god bless, her broken nose that has already been operated on. She knows Tom is pretty buff and muscular but Beca's not a pushover. The fact that Beca is this badly injured, it only means Tom's injuries aren't light either and the fight was bad enough for the both of them to get suspended again.

Unable to keep herself together, Chloe rushes forward and throws her arms around the brunette. She can already feel hot tears waiting to be unleashed from the den.

"Oh my God…" Chloe breathes out worriedly, her nose nuzzling into Beca's hair. She can finally let out all her emotions from the time she was told about Beca's trip to the hospital. "Stop getting into trouble, will you? I was so worried you'd get suspended from the Bellas…"

Beca wants to laugh after feeling Chloe's trembling body but a part of her is touched at Chloe's concern for her. She feels so special, even though it might be considered the bare minimum. Her heart is warm and her injuries don't hurt as badly anymore. Why does Chloe make everything feel so much better? And effortlessly at that. She keeps asking herself the same questions repeatedly, but never receives a satisfactory answer from her mind at all.

What is this thing with her heartbeat whenever Chloe comes close?

Why does Beca always feel like her stomach's going to flip a thousand times when Chloe sings?

Lastly, why does Chloe make everything happier and easier for Beca to go through?

"Chloe," Ashley calls with a teasing voice, "did you know Beca almost died trying to kick Tom's ass today? And did you also know who's been preparing your meals everyday?"

Beca pushes Chloe away, ready to pounce onto the smirking girl when the redhead stops her immediately. Chloe's glare does wonders as always, effectively freezing Beca in her place. "You try to move again and you're under house arrest, Mitchell." Beca knows when to sit down and shut up to appease the hopping mad Chloe Beale. When Chloe's mad, nothing seems to work on her and that's when Beca's secret weapon appears.

"Aw, but Chlo…"

Everyone visibly cringes at Beca's attempt at acting cute, trying hard not to interrupt the cute moment between the two women-who-are-obviously-into-each-other-but-are-dumbasses. This side of Beca never comes up, and that means never unless Chloe is around. Just imagine the sarcastic, sexy Beca who has her resting bitch face on almost twelve hours a day trying to appease Chloe with the typical pout and puppy eyes tactic.

No one expected Chloe to react so though.

"Be quiet, Becs."

"Yes, Chloe."

Aubrey leans against the wall with a smirk on her face; she's still a little skeptical about this whole thing but the exchange between them only makes her worry less.

 _Whipped_.

Fat Amy watches with shaky eyes as the scene unfolds right in front of her; she wonders when the two co-leaders have become so dramatic and unbelievably expressive with their feelings.

"Why are you hanging out with her?"

"You're one to talk," Beca mutters bitterly, her eyes averting from Chloe's knife-like gaze. She knows if things go too far, her words might just keep coming out without control whatsoever. "You were the one talking to that asshole who wants to get into your pants – or skirt, for that matter."

Chloe is puzzled at the reaction. She always responds to people and rarely begins a conversation; Beca knows that best. The reaction she's getting right now is too different though. Beca is usually proud of her for being more open to others and better at communicating with others. Okay, perhaps, the person she was communicating with wasn't a stranger but Beca's reaction is so drastic. And it hit her; the constant dates with Tom and the different guys approaching her… Beca always backs off for the night.

Beca avoids her like the plague and comes back after midnight, or anytime after Chloe falls asleep. The bottom line is that Beca avoids talking to Chloe too; preferably trying not to hear about how Chloe's day went.

Suddenly, Chloe begins to laugh. She finally catches on to Beca's unconscious actions all this while. Beca clearly doesn't know her own feelings because she hasn't said anything; in fact, the brunette always looks flustered around her instead. Now that Chloe's seeing it for herself for the first time; she finds Beca the most adorable person ever. All those times that Chloe wonders what she did wrong the previous day; every single piece of the puzzle is coming together now and even more clearly so.

"Chloe?" Stacie calls out albeit worriedly; their co-leader just lost her mind in front of her. She clutches onto Cynthia Rose's arm, slightly hiding herself behind the latter. "Oh my God, babe. She's gone crazy…"

Beca flinches when Chloe's laugh gets louder.

"C-Chlo?"

"Oh my God, Becs," Chloe wipes a tear away from her eye, her stomach starting to hurt from all the laughing. She sits down beside Fat Amy with a smirk, "you're _so_ jealous."

"FINALLY SHE GETS IT!" Fat Amy cries out, throwing her hands in the air. She's been stuck between the two women for so long, playing along with their oblivious minds. Dropping hints and continuously holding herself back from smacking the both of them; Fat Amy has done her fair share.

"I'm not!" Beca yells defensively, unaware of the blush spreading across her face. She is starting to resemble a freshly boiled lobster as she continues defending herself from all the accusations she's getting from the Bellas. "Oh my God, I am _not_ jealous! I just don't want Chloe to be stupid again and get raped someday!"

Pin-drop silence followed after Beca's knife-sharp words, and the Bellas stared at the brunette incredulously. Beca can use all the words in the world and she chose to use 'stupid'. Now, everyone here is well aware that Chloe's heart is soft and she's especially weak towards Beca. No one can imagine the feeling of being stabbed in the heart by multiple daggers by the person you fancy, and Chloe wishes she never felt for Beca that way.

It hurt so badly, and Chloe could literally feel her heart beat speeding up with every passing second of silence. She's starting to hear it pound in her eardrums.

"Right. You're not jealous," Chloe whispers, "I'm sorry."

"Chloe…"

"Let's get back to practice!"

Beca watches helplessly as the rest of the Bellas follow after Chloe like baby chicks following the mother hen. She panicked and everything flew out without constraint; those words were tactless and selfish. The crestfallen look on Chloe's face will never leave her mind for as long as they don't talk, and Beca knows it won't happen soon. Chloe might be strong, soft-hearted but she has a knack for avoiding people she doesn't want to encounter just yet.

She's so fucked.


	2. Chapter 2 (F)

A week.

It's been a week since Chloe has initiated a conversation with her. The constant goodnights and supper dates stopped; Chloe didn't ask for her to cuddle anymore. Even though Chloe is one of the people who crave affection most, Beca can't remember when was the last time Chloe asked for it. Beca can't even start a conversation without Chloe giving her a blank stare and a one-word answer. In short, the two of them haven't had a proper conversation ever since Beca's outburst during practice.

Beca is currently on the bleachers, lying down like a mopey cow. She stopped mixing sets two days ago; nothing's been going smoothly for her either.

Lily can't hold it back, "Fuck!"

"Woah bitch, you don't need to shout." Fat Amy rolls her eyes.

"I can't agree more," Cynthia Rose seconds the curse. She's tired of this melodrama too. Practices have been dull and her throat hasn't been doing too well. "Beca should just suck it up and do something about it."

Fat Amy looks over at the brunette; she might be closer to Beca than Chloe but she doesn't feel sorry for the former at all. The words came out of her mouth and it's only normal for Beca to receive the consequences of her actions. Chloe, on the other hand, prefers not to dwell on the matter because she knows there are more important things to do than whine about getting her feelings hurt. Going through university has taught Chloe many things, and it's to keep moving.

"Are we going to pretend that you didn't fuck up, Beca?"

"Aubrey?" Beca sits up for the first time. She notes the anger burning in Aubrey's eyes and feels chills go down her spine. Of course, the blonde would be angry – Chloe is her best friend, after all. "What are you doing here?"

Aubrey stares at Beca, and if looks could kill, Beca would be buried underground by now. She absolutely hates the woman's guts even more now after what she did to Chloe last week. Fine, they didn't get along well until the last performance Aubrey had before graduating but Aubrey really warmed up to her eventually. She thought Chloe was in good hands but clearly; given the terrible state of things today, she can't be more wrong.

Looking at the guilt written all over Beca's face, Aubrey is fairly certain that the brunette did something wrong and she can't face the consequences of it.

"You bitch."

"Hey, that's –"

"No, you shut up and listen!" Aubrey points her index finger at Beca, hot tears stinging her eyes. She can't hide the anger bubbling within her, even more so because Chloe had such strong trust in Beca and the latter wasn't a bitchy person. "You were downright harsh and terrible to a person who doesn't deserve any of that. Maybe Chloe was wrong after all, huh? You really don't care."

Beca's tears roll down her face without control, finally letting her emotions free from its tight reins. She can't open her mouth any longer, knowing that words would only fail her at this point. Every single thing that Aubrey just said is true; Chloe doesn't deserve any of her bullshit. Out of all the Bellas, Chloe's the one who knows her inside out and in return, expressed her vulnerabilities in front of Beca. This is how Chloe's been repaid – a broken heart and a damaged friendship.

Oh, Chloe.

"Where is she?"

Aubrey thinks for a moment and just as she's about to give her answer, her eyes meet with Fat Amy's and Stacie's mischievous ones behind.

"Meeting some dude to talk about a project, who apparently has designs on her but HEY I'M NOT DONE TALKING!"

Snickers echo throughout the room once they're sure that Beca has already left; talk about being obvious. Everyone already knows what kind of feelings Beca and Chloe harbor for each other. The level of obviousness has already surpassed that of an actual, official couple and all it does is amuse the Bellas. A pair of best friends that clearly fancy each other and yet are so tight-lipped about it? In Cynthia Rose's eyes, it's some _white shit_ that isn't going to happen to her. To Fat Amy, it's a waste of time when everyone loves a good _blowe_.

"God, you rascals," Aubrey sighs.

"CHLOE! CHLO!"

Chloe can't hear Beca's yelling; she has been blasting her own music to drown the tempting voice at the back of her mind telling her to meet the Bellas. She already knows her friendship with Beca won't be the same anymore, not after that outburst. It might seem selfish for Chloe not to go for practice but how can she face the brunette ever? Beca basically told her straight to her face that she didn't care about whatever was going on in her love life. Chloe doesn't want to be dramatic but it hurts quite a fair bit; being indirectly rejected by your crush? Damn.

The pain is what is driving Chloe to avoid being at home with them, hence going to meet someone to help distract her – someone she should never meet alone. Yet, it doesn't scare her anymore. She's already received the maximum amount of hurt she can withstand.

A sigh leaves her lips as she enters the taxi – Chloe can't keep being alone or her mind's going to run wild.

"To Purple Orchid, please."

"Sure, Miss."

And her eyes are cast towards the window, ignoring whatever her heart is saying. She knows Beca won't come for her anyway. Beca's bark might be worse than her bite but Chloe's not going to stay and find out what it's like to be bitten more than once. After all, the phrase 'once bitten, twice shy' has always been meaningful for Chloe.

"CHLOE!"

Beca bends down and places her hands on her knees to support herself, panting heavily. She has a banging body and a small frame but that doesn't mean she's fit. To compare with Chloe and Aubrey who are built up after doing years of cardio? Beca's body will collapse first.

"Damn it."

Now, Beca always lets go of the things that she has missed before but not this time. She cannot afford to have history repeat itself or she's going to lose the best thing that has ever happened to her.

"TAXI! HERE!"

"Um… Guys? Why are we following Beca?"

Everyone groans at the dumbest question (probably the nth one by now) asked. They've been trying to avoid everything Emily has asked ever since they left the practice room but she can't take a hint, apparently.

"Emily, for the first and the last time," Stacie smiles with eyes that could bore into the younger girl's soul, "we are following them to make sure nothing goes wrong again. Or would you rather have a repeat of what happened last week?"

A sheepish shake of her head comes, Emily immediately complying to the answer before she gets scolded again. She knows she can be a tad bit oblivious but even after hearing herself – God, how did she not realise that? Nevertheless, Emily is not going to open her mouth for the rest of the journey.

Aubrey doesn't know what's going to come; they already know what kind of argument came out from the last confrontation. Someone like Chloe who's usually sweet and mild-mannered to everyone changes so much when interacting with Beca. Beca is more than the total opposite of Chloe: sharp-tongued and cold to people that aren't close to her. Opposites usually don't get along but are attracted to each other; the only difference is that Chloe and Beca both complement each other so well.

"Oh God, I pray everything goes well," Fat Amy sighs. She has long agreed to be their roommate after graduation, and the application for the apartment has already been filed. If their feud doesn't end today, she's going to be the middlemen for as long as they live together. "And none of us will cockblock them. Amen."

Oh… there will definitely be a cockblocker.

There's a reason why they're all friends – they have terrible timing.

"You'll be the death of me, Chloe Beale," Beca mutters under her breath, her eyes narrowing in reflex when she sees the flashing lights of the bar. She doesn't have anything against partying but not when any of them are alone.

The bar's flashing lights and intimidating men standing at the entrance? It is definitely not Beca's scene and will never be. She's fine with being a mere DJ or a waitress but coming here to hang out and drink is still a reach. Even at the age of almost twenty-two, Beca will never find it in her to grind against other people and act like an idiot. The number of people who have gotten caught for groping others at a club or bar is ridiculous, and there's barely any point in putting herself at such a risk.

Beca visibly cringes when she sees a couple of people dry-humping each other on the dance floor: another reason why she can't be bothered to come to clubs.

Perhaps approaching the bartender isn't a smart choice, judging by the way he's scanning her from head to toe with a sleazy gaze. Nonetheless, Beca bites her tongue and moves in. "Hi, have you seen a redhead about this tall and has sky-blue eyes? She probably entered ten minutes ago." She can barely hide her restlessness, cold sweat starting to gather upon her forehead. So much for her ice cold, bitchy exterior, huh?

The bartender sets down his bottle and leans over the counter with a grin that could send Beca running for the hills. The grin only turns into an ill-intentioned smirk, "why don't you give me a little something in return for my answer?"

"Back off, you wanker!"

Beca almost collapses in relief when she turns around and sees the rest of the Bellas standing in front of her. She rushes into Stacie's waiting arms at once.

Aubrey crosses her arms and stares at the bartender with a cold expression, the gaze in her eyes as hard as steel. It's another one of the reasons why she despises most of the men in existence. They're all the bloody same; trying to get benefits out of a person's innocent request. A part of her hopes that none of them ever dates someone like that – male or female – because she'd call them out on their shit very quickly. She chortles when the bartender clears his throat and points to the booth upstairs, averting his eyes from hers.

"Beca, she's upstairs," Aubrey smiles supportively, grabbing the shorter woman by her shoulders. She doesn't hesitate to whisper some words of warning into Beca's ear. "If you hurt Chloe again, I will break bone in that body of yours."

The brunette doesn't mind the threats, for once. She knows the pain she has inflicted on Chloe and the aftereffects of it are enough to make her beg for forgiveness. After receiving a hard push from Cynthia Rose, Beca runs up the stairs leading up to the corner booth overseeing the dance floor. She almost flips out of her own skin when she sees an empty booth instead. Has Chloe left after only ten minutes? Damn it, then it'll be her second time missing an opportunity of a lifetime.

"Guys!" Beca shouts from upstairs, her eyes starting to tear up already. She just wants to get forgiveness from Chloe! It's so difficult to get the redhead with her. "I think she's gone!"

Lily almost slams her head against the wall beside her; this is the first time she's experiencing so much frustration with their leader. She is always quiet about her opinions and whatnot but this is a new standard of dumb. " _She's right behind you_ , _you idiot,_ " Lily mouths, pointing to Beca herself. Her voice can't be heard anyway, what more in a loud place like this. She's really serious though, because Chloe is standing behind Beca with a sickening grin on her face.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Chloe would have opted to remain there until Beca realizes but the latter is receiving stares because of her constant shouting…. And the redhead doesn't like that. She reaches out and pokes Beca's shoulder in the most annoying manner possible, one that makes Beca spin around with a murderous glare.

"C-Chlo!"

The Bellas all burst into outrageous laughter, wondering when they'd get to see Beca embarrass herself again like she has this evening. They already know what the outcome of tonight is, seeing as Chloe is still staring down upon Beca's smaller frame with a straight face this time. There isn't a high chance of them leaving this place anytime soon so Fat Amy starts flirting with one of the bouncers delegating tables. She has already won over another man to be at her beck and call in a blink of an eye.

"Let's just go get some drinks and wait for them," Fat Amy comes back with a shit-eating smirk. She winks at the bouncer one more time, pointing to the booth upstairs but on the opposite end: a clear view of the booth Chloe's in. "We're going to see a show tonight, you twig bitches!"

As the Bellas walk to their own booth, Chloe is now locked in what seems to be a staring competition with Beca. She might have been smiling earlier but that was only because Beca was behaving adorably. Seeing Beca face to face is pissing her off all over again; the memory of Beca blowing up in her face over a playful attempt at brightening the mood… Chloe can't deal with that. She doesn't have time to keep taking the brunt of Beca's frustrations with her own emotional constipation.

It pains Chloe too, no matter how much of an optimist and pleasant friend she is – she is still human and everyone has their limits, even her and her never-ending heart of gold.

"Why are you here?"

Beca feels like a child getting interrogated by her mother for doing something wrong and trying to wriggle her way out of it. She can feel her palms getting sweaty and her cheeks flushing immensely.

"I… I wanted to talk to you."

"And you found your way here?" Chloe asks, genuine confusion filling those beautiful sky-blue eyes. She sits down in the booth instead, knowing her legs aren't going to stop trembling anytime soon.

Beca sighs and averts her eyes, "I saw you leaving the house just now and I called you, but you didn't respond. I have to explain something to you…"

Chloe can't deny it – a tiny part of her is touched that Beca followed her all the way here just to talk but it also confuses her. After all the effort Beca puts in to throw her off her game, the brunette follows her here just to talk? This is like a puzzle Chloe still hasn't put together, with a couple of pieces out of place. The missing pieces being Beca and her inability to convey her feelings properly. It doesn't surprise Chloe anymore but the least Beca can do is stop giving her these signs.

"Look, Chlo," Beca raises her hand in front of her, trying to calm herself down. She can feel her emotions bubbling into a big mess just like it did the last time. "I… I didn't mean to shout at you the other day. I was just… just… –"

"– scared of facing your true feelings?"

A shameful nod comes her way.

The silence that ensues after that makes Chloe wonder: why are they stuck in such a merry-go-round situation again? Because if she lets this one slide once more, this problem gets swept under the carpet and isn't talked about the way it's supposed to be. Chloe hasn't seen Beca blow up like that day but she doesn't want to stick around and face it once more – there's nothing pleasant about that.

"Well… I don't know what I'm supposed to do for you right now," Chloe says with an apologetic tone. She really can't wrap her head around this mess. "Honestly, I have my own thoughts to sort out too. I want to figure out how I'm going to do anything about this friendship at all."

Beca could take all of that; she can take Chloe's disappointments and pain but nothing could have prepared her for the stab in her heart right after.

"But I can't face you for now."

The days pass and with no significant progress between the two former best friends – well, no one really said they weren't friends but Beca doesn't know if they can be considered that anymore. They don't talk anymore, neither do they smile when they see each other. Is that a friendship…? It's a really pathetic excuse for a friendship and Beca means that with all her heart. She knows the mistakes she made and what could be done but Chloe is avoiding her. There's no chance to make up for it at all.

Beca can't complain though – Chloe deserves her space this time. She snapped at her best friend when Chloe only wanted to tease her; there's nothing wrong with Chloe not wanting to see her for now.

"I'm so fucking sick of this!"

Beca turns slightly, only to see Fat Amy stomping her way through the door. She already knows the possible reasons behind it: bad day at class or Bumper pissed her off again.

"What's up, babe?"

Fat Amy groans and plops herself down onto the sofa, casually laying her head atop Beca's lap. She looks up into the brunette's eyes and almost curses at the care and adoration in them. "I'm frustrated because of the two of you. When is this saga going to stop? No one has had a good _bloe_ ever since you two started this!" That's a bold statement but judging from the girls' expressions and high levels of sulkiness; it's obvious most of them haven't got it on yet.

"What am I supposed to do?" Beca whines out of the blue. She's been hiding her emotions as much as possible so the others aren't in such a tight spot, getting caught between Chloe and herself. "I want to see and hug her but nothing is happening! I hardly even see her at home now!"

Fat Amy would clobber Beca if she ever got the chance to; she has held back a lot of her own irritancy and frustration because she wants to give them time. There is no progress being made at all, and it's not going anywhere. The space and patience the Bellas have given the two knuckleheads is going down the drain because Beca and Chloe can't get their shit together and face the problem. It is so unlike both of their leaders: the two that always encourage them to be bold and upfront about their issues instead of hiding.

It's a little bit on the overboard side now; practices have been compromised because of this and they rarely have meals together as a full-squad of Bellas. If they don't do something about this, both of them might miss the opportunity to have someone that loves them at their best and worst.

"If you fucked up, you do something. Simple."

It feels like a sharp jab at Beca's heart, whether direct or indirect. She knows she has to make things better but the way to go about it is the real question. She's not someone who is romantic, lovely and knows how to express her emotions as freely as Chloe does. She doesn't know what it's like to be a relatable companion. Whenever Chloe opens up to her, Beca listens and listens. Chloe uses her gift of gab to make Beca open up, and it's always successful.

Now that Chloe happens to be the one she's at loggerheads with, Beca can't open up or express how sorry she is, much less the feelings of reciprocation or admiration.

"I… I just want Chloe to be friends with me again…" Beca says in a small voice, suddenly sounding vulnerable and weak. She can't describe the amount of pain she's feeling in her heart right now. "If I can't like her then at least we can remain friends, right?"

The gaze in Fat Amy's eyes softened visibly; she might never understand or relate to that kind of pain Beca is going through but the problem is obvious. She wants to take her friends out of their pain but they have to solve it on their own.

"You need to make good use of your words and make sure you don't regret wanting her as just a friend. She already knows and probably can tell you _like_ her. If anything scared her off, it's your outburst during practice and cruel words saying she was stupid."

Beca feels smaller now that someone finally told that to her face; she knows she did wrong in saying shit like that – that shit was uncalled for, most definitely. She regrets it but as always, her pride stands in the way just like it does every other time. It's not just ego though; it's the fact that her mind keeps telling her that if she apologizes, Chloe has to as well. It's an undoubtedly dumb thought, but the power of thoughts is remarkable most of the time. They make a person go wild or retreat further into their cave.

"I miss her."

"Show it then," Fat Amy pats Beca's head before getting off the sofa.

Show it?

Chloe yawns as she looks around the auditorium; she has been here for almost every lecture today, even with lectures that's not for her class. The lessons were interesting enough to make her stay, that's for sure. It's exactly how her past few days have been; staying in school until late and leaving the house early to get a bit of studying in before class starts. It's a pattern that Chloe might have to get used to if she doesn't want to damage her friendship with Beca further… then there has to be something sacrificed.

"Hey Chloe, isn't it time for you to go home?"

"Ah… I need to get some work done first," Chloe smiles weakly, hoping and praying she isn't called out for her lie. She has never been a good liar anyway. "You can go ahead. I'll be fine on my own!"

One of the freshmen in her class simply smiled, "you've been here every night, Chloe. Don't tire yourself out."

Oh, Chloe won't.

There's no possibility that Chloe will let that happen because she can't let herself be vulnerable. She won't be able to pretend that Beca doesn't exist and their relationship hasn't changed. That has been a responsibility for Chloe for some time already; if the Bellas find it difficult with the tension between her and Beca, Chloe will make herself scarce. This is honestly a lot tougher than she expected it to be, it also hurt more than Chloe prepared herself for.

It makes her wonder if failing Russian Lit on purpose was worth it at all. She refrained from graduating because she wanted to be with the Bellas, until she realized that her main goal was to spend more time with Beca.

Fate played her like a bitch.

 _ **Text from Aubrey**_

 _I expect to see you tonight._

"Shit."

Aubrey always seems to be able to read her mind when she least expects it. It's always been a thing between Chloe and Aubrey; Aubrey being the one who can catch on things really quickly, way before Chloe can even decipher anything. It's probably because of how Aubrey was brought up in her family of crazy, domineering people. Chloe will empathize with her but Aubrey wouldn't be the same confident, independent woman she is today.

And that's amazing.

Yet, it also reminds her of Beca… so, so much.

"Chloe, going home?"

"Yes!" Chloe waves, unconsciously walking with a slight spring in her step. She doesn't seem to realize that the others have already noticed a slight difference in her behavior.

Cynthia Rose tries to stop Stacie from clobbering Beca in front of everyone; her girlfriend has always been hot-tempered and it's been getting worse with this incident. Stacie always ends up kicking Cynthia Rose out of the room for trying to calm her down. Now that Beca is finally gathering the balls to come and face Chloe, the other Bellas are trying not to get their hopes up. The only reason why Stacie isn't at Beca's throat right now is because Beca looks so vulnerable compared to as always.

"Seriously, Beca," Aubrey cuts in, "if you screw up again, I will break your bones and send you to the aca-Gods for them to punish you really well."

Beca wonders how or why she even auditioned for a group of Bellas that are about to murder her. She sighs again, clasping her fingers together tightly.

If Chloe doesn't forgive her, Beca's not going to be able to carry on. She will probably go to Los Angeles and resume her DJ-ing career just like she initially planned instead of remaining at Barden. She knows facing Chloe will be heartbreaking for the both of them, especially since they are so close. Being the only one who could tear Beca's walls down effortlessly and persistently, Chloe will also remain the one person who can.

"I miss her, guys," Beca admits, her eyes letting on more than she wants to. Perhaps it is the barrier that Beca sets for herself but she doesn't realize how expressive her eyes are, and it often works against her favor. "I will talk to her tonight but please, please don't interrupt? I… I need to do this alone."

"Do what alone?"

Everyone turns to the familiar voice, turning a bit stoned when they spot Chloe at the door, her sky-blue eyes full of confusion and apprehension together. Neither of them expect Chloe to arrive so fast; after all, Chloe prefers walking back home instead of taking public transport or her car for that matter. None of them want to erase the look of bewilderment on Beca's face (it's probably the funniest thing they've seen all year) though, it's remarkable.

Beca doesn't realize that in her slight trance, the Bellas slowly remove themselves from the awkward situation and switch to hiding in the rooms instead.

Chloe almost curses when she realizes the set-up she's been put in; she should have thought about this happening. Even with the slight anger starting to boil in her veins, she can't deny the speed-up in her heartbeat. The sight of Beca sitting there with that distant gaze in her eyes tells Chloe even more than what Beca unintentionally revealed to the other girls. The worst part has to be the fact that Beca does look guilty and equally broken too.

"Well, we're already in this situation…" Chloe sits down on the other sofa, throwing her bag to the end. She plops her legs atop the coffee table and stares at Beca, "I guess you can start talking first?"

"I… I'm sorry," Beca takes her bottom lip between her teeth as prisoner, biting down to stop her voice from shaking. Her leg bounces up and down rapidly as another more of her tactics to keep her nerves under control. "I'm an asshole, I ruined our friendship… I did everything I wasn't supposed to and all I want is another chance to turn that around but it doesn't seem possible anymore because you're still so angry an – MMPHHH!"

Chloe finally smiles at the shock in Beca's eyes, her hand still clamped atop of the younger's mouth. Honestly, everything that came out of Beca's mouth was too fast to catch and Chloe is not going to sit through that. She's lucky to catch the glimpse of hope in Beca's eyes, only to see it die down as quick as it came. A part of her hardened heart immediately warms and she removes her hand, sitting on the coffee table so she could face Beca.

Watching as Beca blinks and stutters like a deer caught in headlights, Chloe shakes her head with a smile. She is still helpless against Beca's genuine adorable trait; a trait that Beca doesn't even know she has.

"Is it my turn to speak now?"

Beca turns shy and starts to blush, nodding timidly after hearing Chloe's tease. She is just about to avert her eyes from Chloe's when the redhead comes closer, staring at Beca's deep pool of abysses she has for eyes.

"You should look at the person who's talking, no?"

The fun continues with Chloe poking Beca's nose in an annoying manner; she enjoys seeing the younger brunette getting flustered because of her bold advancements. Back then, many small actions that Chloe did for her, Beca didn't particularly take them to heart but she always makes sure to return the favor – a dumb action if she might say so herself. It took her a while to realize that Chloe did all of those selfless things because she wanted Beca to be happy with no ulterior motives like getting the favor returned.

Chloe sighs, rubbing her thumb against Beca's prominent jawline. She can't even stop herself from falling harder anymore; Beca is still the same idiot she fell in love with. The one who can't admit she's cute instead of sexy or tough.

"I want to be angry with you, Beca. I do. You didn't just call me stupid, but you indirectly rejected me which I can thank you for because it woke me up." Chloe glares at Beca when she tries to cut in, effectively shutting her up. "I can't force everyone to like me and that's just the bitter truth. Something that I cared too much about is no longer an issue; it's part of life."

Beca feels worse and worse as Chloe goes on; her behavior was way out of line that day but it was a defense mechanism with no ill intention. If anyone told her that she hurt Chloe on purpose, she would punch them in the mouth without hesitation. Only God knows how much Chloe means to her, and maybe the other Bellas except Chloe herself but that's not the point right now. She finds herself pouting when Chloe looks away with a chuckle; the redhead never gives up so easily so it's more painful to look at. She doesn't want Chloe to give up on her.

No, actually, Chloe won't. Beca won't allow it ever again.

Chloe almost falls back when Beca jumps to her feet, hands clasping Chloe's face between her palms. Her eyes are wide with surprise but she doesn't make an attempt to move when Beca leans in. She blushes furiously when she feels Beca's lips on her forehead.

"What the hell?"

"I never wanted to hurt you, Chlo. I was afraid because you were getting close to pinpointing my real feelings in front of everyone; I wasn't ready for that. Because I wanted to run away, I said things that could protect myself and hurt you but it wasn't on purpose. I was scared."

The relief that engulfs Chloe through is remarkable; so, she was overthinking this the whole time. She thought Beca was indirectly rejecting her because she was offended but no… it is so far from the truth. She should've known that Beca's form of defense mechanisms are different from most people. Sometimes, her bark is much worse than her bite and it's never the other way around. Beca's soft spot for every one of the Bellas is significantly different, and it's extraordinary for someone as introverted as herself.

It's Beca's turn to panic when Chloe stands from the table, pushing Beca to sit back down. Beca's hands ball into fists when Chloe plops herself onto her lap. Chloe runs her fingers through Beca's locks, memorizing every feature of Beca's face again.

Chloe leans in and rests her forehead against Beca's, lips within inches of each other's. The ends of her lips twitch into a smirk, "I'm glad you're admitting that you didn't reject me then."

"Who in their right mind would reject you, dude? You're Chloe fucking Beale!" Beca exclaims breathlessly, her eyes darting from Chloe's eyes down to her lips multiple times. She can barely tear her eyes away from those glorious lips. Chloe looks even more beautiful up close. "I… I need to pee."

"No, you don't."

"No, I don't."

Beca is about to say something but she can hear whispering, and she almost bursts out laughing – so much for staying hidden. She holds Chloe's waist and helps the redhead off her lap, grinning at the slight pout. Chloe always looks so cute whenever she's upset about something; of course, not to the point of avoiding Beca like that again. If they were strangers, Beca won't be able to tell Chloe apart from the rest in terms of their age. Reminder: Chloe was supposed to graduate almost a full three years ago.

Chloe watches as Beca tiptoes to the room Lily and Flo share, putting a finger upon her lips when she turns back to Chloe. Chloe rests her head on her arm, her eyes practically bursting with adoration.

A twist of the knob and the Bellas fall out in a dramatic fashion, piling on top of one another… with Fat Amy being right on top.

"I told you so," Fat Amy grumbles.

Stacie groans, her head on the floor. She is all the way below, and lying flat on her tummy with a combined weight of a whole cow standing on her. "Excuse me. If you guys mind, my boobs are about to be flattened."

"EVERYBODY GET OFF!"

Chloe begins laughing outrageously, clapping her hands like an excited child. She enjoys hearing (and seeing) cheesy yet sickening things like that – Cynthia Rose is practically lugging everyone off her girlfriend and throwing them to the side; anything to keep her girl's boobies safe, honestly. Plus, it also means she gets a treat later tonight for being so wonderful. Once again, the attention shifts back to Chloe and she's still laughing adorably to herself.

Beca clears her throat nervously when she notices the identical mischief on the Bellas' faces. She knows they've most likely heard every single thing she said and they're going to come after her ass for it.

"So… what is the deal as of now?" Aubrey asks, "are you going to get down and dirty or pretend there is no sexual tension between you two?"

"AUBREY!"

Stacie smacks the back of their heads (when did she even get there?) and gestures for Aubrey to carry on. They _do_ deserve to know about it, after going through so much unnecessary bullshit.

"No, for serious! Just let us know the plan so we can either get the fuck outta dodge or stay here with ear protection gear. There are other things for us to do like find another place so this one can be served for horny bunnies."

Beca's face is buried against her sweater paws as they speak, much to Chloe's obvious amusement. She can't believe they're actually having such a straightforward, honest conversation between all members instead of the people who are actually involved. It doesn't seem to take any effect on the redhead though, considering Chloe is standing in the corner with Stacie now (most likely discussing about the key ways of making your partner feel good in bed) – gosh, those two have an issue with being private.

Fat Amy moves to Beca when everyone else is discussing the possible relationship; she nudges the brunette. "Hey, short-stack. Have you asked her to be yours yet?"

"You guys were making so much noise. How was am I supposed to do anything?"

Chloe watches from a distance as Beca continues to grumble, probably because they were interrupted. She still feels doubtful of their label-less relationship as of now but seeing Beca so determined to explain things makes it all better.

The scene does change up for Chloe and the other Bellas watching Beca fend off Fat Amy's teasing.

"I SAID SHE'S MINE!"

" _Oh_?"

Everyone knows what Fat Amy's taunt means and they start clearing out of the room after her, resembling baby chicks following their mother obediently. They are going to be just outside the door (again) so the whole conversation will be overheard either way. Honestly, why do Beca and Chloe even try to hide things from them? They happen to be the worst people to keep secrets directly after Fat Amy. The bottom line is: the Bellas will know when they do anything, including their sex times.

Chloe moves towards Beca with swaying hips and a darkened gaze, giggling when Beca backs up against the wall. She can't hide how much of a turn on it is when Beca gets all shy because of her. It brings back a lot of memories about how she first entered the bathroom when Beca was showering – how they truly became fast friends like Chloe said because of that nakedness. No biggie. She has seen Beca's body multiple times, long enough for her to memorize the different tattoos on her back and hips.

"Seriously? They're probably behind that door!"

"So?" Chloe taunts. She already knows they'll leave when they feel like it, and sex sounds are not exactly secretive anymore. "It's not like you're loud… well, I am but they will leave on their own."

And Beca can't fight that.

Because the Bellas eventually left when they started hearing things they shouldn't have to hear.


End file.
